Arnold Valentin of Catholic Charities Diocese of Trenton, right, and colleague James Oliver, who is a Vincentian in St. Raphael-Holy Angels Parish, Hamilton, take a photo with a donation. The parish’s St. Vincent de Paul chapter has been working with Catholic Charities to help Puerto Ricans after Hurricane Maria. Courtesy photo

“What can we do?”

The question is a familiar one in the wake of a disaster or tragedy, as it was for many after Hurricane Maria ravaged Puerto Rico and left the American citizens there without electricity, food and other necessary supplies.

WASHINGTON – The Federal Emergency Management Agency is revising its policies to no longer exclude houses of worship from applying for federal aid to recover from damages caused by natural disasters.More ...Friday, January 5, 2018

The community of Notre Dame High School, Lawrenceville, recently put their basketball skills to use during the school’s first “Hoops for Hope” charity tournament, the proceeds of which will go to aid residents of Puerto Rico and the Caribbean island of Dominica who were impacted by Hurricane Maria.

WASHINGTON – As November began, the people of Puerto Rico still faced "an unprecedented level of need" because of hurricanes Irma and Maria, which devastated the island in September, said the chairmen of two U.S. bishops' committees.More ...Friday, November 3, 2017

The plight of millions of people devastated by the 2017 hurricane season is all too familiar to New Jersey residents. As the fifth anniversary of Superstorm Sandy’s landfall in the Garden State approached, faithful of the Diocese of Trenton felt compelled to respond generously to those suffering from the damage wrought by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria in the southern United States and Puerto Rico.More ...Thursday, November 2, 2017

The following parishes in the Diocese of Trenton participated in a special collection held Sept. 2 and 3 supporting relief efforts in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston following Hurricane Harvey (results as of Oct. 23, 2017).

“Daily, I am greeted with ‘Gracias!’ Whether it is the residents in the building where I am staying or the barista at the local coffee shop, they go out of their way to thank me and the other members of the Catholic Charities USA team for coming to Puerto Rico to help their island recover.”More ...Thursday, November 2, 2017

In the days following the late August landfall of Hurricane Harvey, efforts to help residents along the Gulf Coast of Texas deal with the historic storm’s impact began to come together across the country.

In the Diocese of Trenton, Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., called upon the faithful to remember their own plight nearly five years earlier from Superstorm Sandy and to support a special collection to be held in all parishes over Labor Day weekend. More ...Thursday, November 2, 2017

James King, director of the Office of Social Concerns for the New Jersey Catholic Conference – the public policy arm of the Catholic Bishops of New Jersey – is currently in Puerto Rico in support of Catholic Charities USA’s relief efforts in the wake of Hurricane Maria.More ...Wednesday, October 25, 2017

WASHINGTON – More than a week after Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico, much of the island remained without communication and in desperate need of humanitarian aid.

News programs have been broadcasting about long lines of travelers, who have little food or water, and are desperate to get off the island at the San Juan airport to no avail.

But the scene of destruction outside the airport is even more stark: An island whose dense tropical landscape, along with its infrastructure, towns and cities, has been greatly stripped by winds that reached 155 mph.

WASHINGTON -- Authorities say it may take months for electricity to fully return to Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria pummeled the island and its infrastructure as it made landfall Sept. 20.More ...Friday, September 22, 2017

Catholic Charities Diocese of Trenton has announced it will coordinate a collection of cleaning supplies and personal hygiene kits to be delivered to those impacted by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma.

Individuals interested in participating can bring these items to one of four drop-off sites. All items must be in plastic bags and can be dropped off on or before Wednesday, Oct. 11.

“We are grateful for the support and partnership of our national organization, Catholic Charities USA, in providing the transportation of these donated items to locations in Texas,” said Executive Director Marlene Laó-Collins.

For Anthony Pluchino of St. Thomas More Parish, Manalapan, extending help in a crisis is second nature. Having experienced firsthand the wrath of Superstorm Sandy on the Jersey Shore in 2012, he didn’t think twice before offering to assist with hurricane recovery efforts this month in Houston, Texas.

As members of their parish’s St. Vincent de Paul conference, Pluchino and his wife, Marie, have long embraced the opportunity to come to the aid of those in need. When Hurricane Harvey hit the Houston area, they decided to travel to Texas the weekend of Sept. 16 for a week to lend a hand.More ...Thursday, September 21, 2017